Can You Tell Me How To Get
by Her Wickedness
Summary: A Halloween Fic


Title: Can You Tell Me How To Get  
  
Author: Her Wickedness  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: A scary Halloween story? Um.... no. Lets have some fun!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.... or Halloween. So neither the lawyers or the monsters come after me!  
  
Archive: Anywhere is fine with me as long as you let me know.  
  
Notes: This was supposed to be done in time for the fic contest.... But life happened and I couldn't submit it on time. However, it still wouldn't have been done if it I didn't get support from my friends... you folks know who you is. G Thanks.  
  
  
  
Shift had ended before the Halloween night began. The CSI's were gathering their things from their lockers, trying to put a still unsolved case behind them They had all the evidence they could gather so basically it was up to the DA on where they went from there. It was something that they all silently agreed not to worry about because it was a nice Las Vegas evening and there was plenty of candy to go around the town.  
  
Sara was putting on her new jean jacket she picked up at The Gap earlier in the week, when Catherine walked in and smiled at her new threads. "Catherine, bring Linds by tonight. I'd like to see her costume."   
  
"See if mom did a good job with her make-up?" Catherine teased herself.  
  
"Um, yeah actually." She smiled and turned back to her locker. "Plus I give out good candy. No tootsie rolls at my apartment."  
  
"What is wrong with tootsie rolls?" Grissom chimed in as he rolled his locker combination through his mind to his fingers.  
  
"Nothing." She had not been avoiding him, however she still felt uncomfortable around him sometimes. She felt exposed more than ever since she had explained, in simple English, that he had been confusing her. Mixed signals is what she was getting. It was time for him to step up, and the fact that he hadn't, left her feeling even more hurt and her heart more in the open. She hated being vulnerable. "So Nicky any hot plans? Hot date? Which Halloween party you going to tonight?" She was teasing him about his strikeouts in the dating department.  
  
Catherine smiled and Warrick came to bat for his friend, "What do you have planned Sara? I don't see you doing any better in those fields."  
  
Nick smiled in Warrick's direction "Thanks man."  
  
"Hey now. I have guys knockin' down my door all the time but I have chosen to save this night open for the children. They deserve to rot their teeth." She knew that she shouldn't have sounded so eager to say that, but she still wanted Grissom to know that his time was running out.  
  
"Hank had to work huh?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
They continued to gather their things while laughing at the conversation that was being played. Grissom's back was turned during the entire conversation. And he was glad he didn't turn around, for the team would've seen the hurt in his eyes. "It is not a relationship." plays through his head constantly like a broken record. However, the fact that she was planning on going out with him just added more fears to his already troubled mind.  
  
Nick and Warrick were the first to leave. "See you guys," Catherine waved. "Sara, I'll try and bring Lindsey by if we still have time. I promised her we would stop by Grissom's first, and then she wants to go to the M&M Factory. But it shouldn't be too late."  
  
"No problem. I'll be up."  
  
Catherine picked up her bag and headed out the door. "See ya Griss."  
  
He waved as his head still faced his locker until moments later Sara said goodbye. "Sara!" She was halfway out the door when she heard him. All that went through her mind was a big 'uh oh.'   
  
"Yeah?" She walked back in letting the door close. He closed his locker and walked towards her reaching around the side of her to rest his grip on the door handle. He was close but she didn't move. She just stood, arms crossed and eyes searching.  
  
"You want to come and help me out at my place? You'd be surprised on how many kids I get knocking on my door."  
  
The corners of her mouth curled up as she raised an eyebrow, "you pass out candy?" She didn't know why it shocked her, but it did.  
  
"Yes... and my candy is better than yours."  
  
"Snickers, Baby Ruth, Butterfinger and 3 Musketeers. Wha'ts your lineup?" She turned her head to look him dead in the eye.  
  
"Snickers, Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, 3 Musketeers, Reece's Cups, M&M's... plain and peanut.... and.... my personal favorite... Mr. Goodbars." He smiled as he opened the door and walked out.  
  
  
*****  
  
She arrived at his place around 5 o-clock. She didn't know if that was late or early but they hadn't talked about the specifics. She had only told him that she had to stop by her place and get her candy. He had responded with a shrug of his shoulders and a "whatever." She wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not so she chalked it up to Grissom being Grissom and drove to his place anyway.   
  
She knocked quietly on the door, hoping that if he didn't hear her, then maybe she could tell herself he wasn't home and leave. Unfortunately after the third time knocking she realized that she did indeed want to be there so she hit the door with the palm of her hand to be sure that he heard.   
  
"Sorry. I didn't hear you." He was angered at his mouth for telling her the truth but it seemed to roll right over her head.   
  
"Whoa! You weren't kidding!!" She pointed to the piles of candy that was in a box on his counter. "M&M's, Reeces Pieces, Snickers, Baby Ruth!"  
  
"Yeah. That will all be gone in about 2 hours."  
  
"You don't play! Look, these are the big ones!" He smiled at her. She sounded like she was taken back to her youth and was excited to get good chocolate.   
  
He moved to the kitchen and took a sheet of cookies out of the oven.  
  
"Mmmm. Peanut butter cookies! I was wondering what smelled so good. Don't tell me you hand these out too... you know parents don't let their kids eat stuff that is not wrapped.... because it could be poisoned and all.. and..."  
  
"I made them for Lindsey."  
  
"Oh , well she'll love them."  
  
"Yeah but Catherine just called. Said they'd be by later tonight... I don't know if they'll survive till then though. I know how you get with cookies."  
  
He teased and she smiled. Pleased that he had remembered that she loved cookies. She had always had a box hidden at work when they were both in San Francisco. But lately she has learned to control her obsession. Though she never passed home made bakery goods and he knew it too.   
  
*****  
  
Around 6:45 the candy started running low... so were the cookies. Kids were coming out of nowhere to get their big chocolate bars. She sat back and watched him, observed him. She was fascinated on how he was so much at ease when it came to children. She wondered why he hadn't had any. Did he not want them? Not find the right woman? There were so many tunnels running through his history but she didn't want to exhaust herself trying to find her way though them.   
  
"What?" He placed the box on the counter and looked at her.  
  
She hadn't realized she was staring at him. "What?"  
  
"You've got that weird look in your eye."  
  
She shrugged as her cheeks flushed and she looked back to their scrabble game on his coffee table. "Oh it's nothing. Your turn." she tilted her head at the gameboard.   
  
"I'm finished. You won anyway." She was shocked that he was going down with out a fight. "Well I only have two tiles left and no matter where I put them, I won't surpass your score. Besides, it is your turn at door duty. You were supposed to be here to help, not drink all my soda."  
  
"Well you do so well with the kids I figured I better leave that up to you." She said it sarcastically but she knew it was true.  
  
The doorbell rang and he walked over to her, cupped her elbow and led her to the door. "Let me see you in action."  
  
She raised an eyebrow and opened the door to a mini Oscar the Grouch and a huge Big Bird. "Wow!"  
  
"Trick or Treat," they both said as the little one opened up his trash can replica.  
  
"Hi. I love your costume! Are you Oscar the Grouch?"  
  
"Uh huh." The little boy smiled. "My daddy made it for me." She looked up at Big Bird and he was smiling. She could barely see his face through the beak but she could tell he was smiling. And she could tell that he was rather young to have a child. Or maybe she was too old to have one... she couldn't figure it out and didn't want to try.   
  
"Well your daddy is pretty handy there isn't he?" She smiled at the child as she placed 3 candy bars in his can. Grissom saw her and laughed to himself. Giving three bars out...there was no way she's doing this again. "There you go Oscar."  
  
"Thank you!!" He trotted off.  
  
She closed the door and looked up at Grissom who was shaking his head. "What?!"  
  
"I think you were right, let me handle the children. You keep giving out that much candy, we'll run out in four more kids."  
  
"Fine. I'll just go have another glass of soda." She smirked at him as she walked to the kitchen with arms crossed.  
  
The doorbell rang again. Grissom didn't mind Halloween. He was intrigued on how candy ruled the kids for one night. If he had been more in touch with the world he would've realized that candy rules all kids every night.   
  
"Hi...Hey... didn't we just see you?" It was Oscar the Grouch again.   
  
"Oh...hello mister.... um... um..." the kid was looking behind Grissom into the house and then back to his left. "... is your daughter here? .. Um...um...." Grissom felt his knees give out but he held on to the doorframe. It was at that instance he knew he couldn't pursue anything with Sara. The age gap was always on his mind but it never stopped his heart. He knew now how painfully obvious it would be to the outside world and he didn't want to subject her to that. Why would she have an old man instead of someone her own age?   
  
"Hey you, what are you doing back here?" Sara walked up behind Grissom, not hearing what the little boy had said.   
  
"Oh hi! Umm... my daddy wants to know if you want to go trick or treating with him tonight."   
  
Grissom was getting beat up by a 5 year old.  
  
"Trick or treating huh?" She smiled knowing that it was obvious Big Bird was asking her out... yet it would only be trick or treating to the kid. 'Nice touch' she thought to herself. She moved around Grissom who, for some reason not known to her, was as stiff as a corpse. "I'm sorry, tell your daddy that I promised my..." She didn't know why she hesitated. "...friend here that I would help pass out candy to all the other children that will be coming by." Hopefully that was a big enough hint to Big Bird that she was not interested. The little boys smile fell and Sara's heart sank. She grabbed two more candy bars, "here is another candy bar for you and here is one for your dad." The child smiled and said thank you as he ran off in the distance.  
  
She turned and found Grissom in the kitchen pouring himself a drink. His legs seemed to have come out of their coma. "You leaving?" His back was still facing her. She couldn't see his expression but something in his voice changed. She wasn't sure what it was... it almost sounded like anger.  
  
"No. Why? You want me to?"   
  
"That guy was asking you out you know?"  
  
"Yeah I'm smarter than I look Grissom. I figured that." She didn't like his tone.  
  
"Well why didn't you go?"   
  
She crossed her arms and felt a little defensive. "Because." She didn't want to give him much more. The attitude he was taking.... he was starting to sound like an asshole.  
  
"Afraid Hank would find out?" He turned and looked at her while taking a sip of his drink. He was smiling but his eyes were serious. He had a condescending look on his face.  
  
"What is this?" She was beginning to wonder if this was the mysterious Grissom she had been wanting to reveal... or if he was just naturally an asshole and she had never noticed.  
  
He shrugged his shoulders and looked at his glass. "What? I'm just wondering why you didn'tgo with him. That's all."  
  
"You know why."  
  
"Oh right... Hank". It was the second time he had emphasized his name.  
  
" Oh please don't play stupid. It's not very Grissom of you." She went to his coffee table and started putting the game back in the box. "Hank and I are friends. That is it. It is not a relationship. We just hang out... And I don't owe you an explanation for all this. It is my life... and even with Hank in it...it is still on hold. For how long? Well that is entirely up to you and you know it. You know how I feel, so don't play this game with me Grissom because sooner or later somebody will win and it won't be you." She was pissed...and right... and he knew it.  
  
She finished packing the game into its nice rectangular box and sat down on his couch staring at his blank television screen.   
  
Minutes passed.  
  
  
  
In silence.  
  
  
  
He sat down his glass and made his way toward her. She hadn't blinked in minutes and he suddenly felt uneasy with her. But he knew that if he didn't face her now, she would never give him another chance.  
  
He sat down on the opposite end of the couch and rested his elbows on his knees as he stared at the floor. The doorbell hadn't rang in a very long time. He found it funny that he had just realized it.   
  
"I'm sorry Sara. I ... I just don't think I deserve you." She turned and looked at him and he quickly darted his eyes still afraid that she would continue to melt his heart. He didn't like losing control.   
  
She looked back at the TV and a tear fell from her eye as she cleared her throat. "Well if that is your decision, I guess there isn't much I can do about it." She stood up and headed for the door, stopping only to get her bag.  
  
He was almost ready to let her go but his heart wasn't there yet..."Sara wait!" He stood up and met her ... she was one turn away from getting on with her life.   
  
Her back was to him and her head was hung. "That is all I've been doing Grissom..... waiting." She turned the knob and opened the door only to have it slam shut by his hand reaching over her shoulder.  
  
He took a step forward and she could feel his body right behind hers. "Please don't go." It was a whispered plea and she was moved. She could hear the sadness and the desperation that had fought its way out of him as he rested his forehead on the back of her head. Already worn out by the unveiling of his true self... he was lost without her.  
  
"It's just... I'm not good with words." He sighed.  
  
Silence filled the room ... the only noise coming from their breathing.   
  
"You don't have to talk." She reached out for his hand that was still leaning on the door and when she touched it she felt him tremble. Or was it her? She didn't know. His jaw tightened as she guided his hand to her lower belly and he squeezed her back into him. She took his breath away.  
  
The doorbell rang and they both jumped. He took a step back and she lifted her head. She looked out the peephole but couldn't see anyone. "Tiny bot. Hand over the candy." She opened the door and found Oscar there in front of her yet again. "Hey you! No more candy." She smiled at the boy.  
  
"My daddy told me to tell you that he makes one hundred and fifty billion dollars a year." A whisper comes from the bushes, "oh... thousand. Not billion. Is that a lot?"  
  
Both their jaws drop. Impressive. She looked at Grissom, their eyes meeting for only the second time in ten minutes. He shruged his shoulders, his body saying 'I cant compete with that.'  
  
Sara kneeled down toward the kid to soften the blow. "I'm impressed... really I am." it was almost a shout to be sure that Big Bird heard. "Tell your daddy I am sorry but I have a thing for the Cookie Monster."   
  
Grissom smiled.   
  
"ooooooh! Cookie Monster!" the kid chimed.  
  
"Yessss...." Sara beamed. "...my thoughts exactly." She reached behind her to get the box of candy, her arm grazing Grissoms. The contact was warm and it didn't go unnoticed by either of them. "Take the rest of this." The kid smiled and ran off to where his Big Bird father was. Sara scribbled 'Out of Candy' on a post-it and stuck it on the door.  
  
She turned to look at him. He was standing a few feet in front of her, hands in his pocket and a youthful expression on his face. Neither of them smiled for they knew that the matter they had been dealing with, had been serious.  
  
The corner of her mouth slowly curled up as she looked into his eyes. "You were saying?"  
  
He took a step closer. Maybe not having words was a good thing. He was sure that whatever happened between him and Sara, she would help him get the words right. 


End file.
